Gaming News — Week of 2026-04-11 to 2026-04-17#

Story of the Week#

Microsoft is seemingly preparing for a massive shakeup to its Game Pass strategy, driven by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma’s internal memo stating the service has “become too expensive” for players. Rumors suggest Xbox leadership is not only exploring a cheaper subscription tier exclusively for first-party titles, but is also considering pulling day-one releases for behemoths like this year’s Call of Duty to offset costs. This potential overhaul represents a seismic shift for the industry’s most prominent subscription service as Microsoft scrambles to find a sustainable path forward following recent price hikes.

Top Stories#

[Rockstar Security Breach Spares GTA 6] · IGN The hacker group ShinyHunters breached Rockstar Games via a third-party application, demanding a ransom while threatening to leak sensitive company data. Thankfully, the compromised information was deemed “non-material,” ensuring that the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 remains entirely unaffected by the attack. Proving just how financially bulletproof the publisher is ahead of the massive sequel, Take-Two’s stock actually rose following the news.

[Starfield Stumbles on PS5 Amid Switch 2 Rumors] · IGN Bethesda’s flagship space RPG Starfield had a rough landing on the PlayStation 5, marred by progression-breaking crashes and “lukewarm” first-week sales of around 140,000 copies. Despite these multiplatform struggles, a recent Taiwan ratings board leak heavily suggests Microsoft is already preparing to bring the massive RPG to the Nintendo Switch 2 to capitalize on the new hardware.

[Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sweeps the BAFTAs] · IGN Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 absolutely dominated the 2026 BAFTA Game Awards, taking home the coveted Best Game trophy alongside Best Debut Game and Best Performer in a Leading Role. The critically acclaimed title successfully fended off heavy hitters like Ghost of Yōtei and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, cementing its status as an instant classic in the RPG genre.

[Metro 2039 Officially Revealed] · IGN Following a weekend of significant gameplay leaks, 4A Games officially announced Metro 2039, plunging players back into the harrowing, psychological depths of the Moscow Metro. Arriving this winter on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, the post-apocalyptic survival shooter features handcrafted levels, a new protagonist, and a terrifying neo-Nazi faction known as the Novoreich.

[Bloodborne and Zelda Movies Make Headway] · IGN Sony Pictures announced an R-rated Bloodborne animated movie co-produced by PlayStation Productions and massive FromSoftware fan Jacksepticeye, who promises to pour his soul into making the adaptation a masterpiece. Meanwhile, Nintendo’s live-action The Legend of Zelda movie has officially wrapped filming, staying on track for its May 7, 2027 theatrical premiere.

Free Games & Deals#

Over on the Epic Games Store, PC players can claim the intense real-time tactical stealth game The Stone of Madness for free until April 23. On the hardware front, jumping into the current generation is best done via the PlayStation’s Ghost of Yotei PS5 Bundle for $599.99, which saves you $120 and helps insulate your wallet against Sony’s recent controversial $100 console price hike. If you’re building a Nintendo library, grab the new Switch 2 console bundle featuring Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 to save $20, and snag Star Wars Outlaws on PS5 while it sits at an all-time low of $19.99. Finally, VR enthusiasts must act fast to grab a Meta Quest 3 or 3S before massive $50 to $100 price jumps hit on April 19 due to tariffs and AI data center demands.

Also Worth Knowing#

Crimson Desert is an absolute smash hit, pushing past 5 million copies sold in less than a month thanks to rapid, game-changing updates that solidified its open-world viability.
The controversial creature-collector Pickmos was forced to pull its Steam page following intense community backlash over blatantly plagiarized Pokémon designs and stolen fan art.
Mega Crit’s Slay the Spire 2 suffered a massive wave of review bombing, dropping its Steam rating to “Mixed” after a controversial Early Access update brought sweeping balance and UI changes.
Bungie’s extraction shooter Marathon introduced a new C.A.R.R.I. system that actively encourages players to revive enemies and share loot, offering a surprisingly wholesome counter to its brutally difficult raid requirements.
Rumors strongly indicate that the highly anticipated pirate remake Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is targeting a July 9 release following a recent European PEGI rating.